US3791708A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Drawer locking system
Assignee: American Locker Group Inc
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Filing: 1972-06-29
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Granted: 1974-02-12
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Expires: 1992-06-29
Abstract
Abstract A writing slide controlled lock mechanism for simultaneously locking drawers of a pedestal type desk. The mechanism features latch members carried by the drawers and a locking bar movable by closure of the writing slide to a locking position for effecting locking of the drawers which are in or are subsequently moved into closed position.
Inventors
- 👤 D Signore
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 14:14
CPC Classifications
E; E05; E05B; E05B65/00; E05B65/46; E05B65/462
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
314 words
A locking mechanism in combination with a desk having a pedestal cabinet with a pull out writing slide, at least one pull out drawer arranged below and in vertical alignment with said slide, surface means for independently supporting said slide and said drawer for movement between opened and closed positions, and a lock means for releasably retaining said slide in cLosed position, said locking mechanism comprising: a latch dog carried one by each said drawer for vertical, pivotal movement relative thereto, said latch dog being normally supported in a first pivotal position by sliding engagement with said surface means during opening and closing movements of said drawer; abutment means defined by a rear end portion of said surface means and associated one with each said latch dog; lock bar means supported by said desk for movement between vertically spaced unlocked and locked positions, said lock bar means including latch dog supporting means arranged in an essentially coplanar relationship with said surface means when said lock bar means is in said unlocked position, whereby to support said latch dog in said first pivotal position when said drawer is in closed position, said latch dog supporting means being arranged vertically below said surface means when said lock bar means is in said locked position, whereby to permit said latch dog to pivot downwardly from said first pivotal position into a second pivotal position for drawer locking engagement with its associated abutment means when said drawer is moved into closed position; and means responsive to movement of said writing slide between opened and closed positions for moving said lock bar means vertically between said unlocked and locked positions, respectively, whereby when said writing slide is in said closed position and said drawer is in said closed position said latch dog is engaged with its associated abutment means to effect locking of said drawer in said closed position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
314 words
A locking mechanism in combination with a desk having a pedestal cabinet with a pull out writing slide, at least one pull out drawer arranged below and in vertical alignment with said slide, surface means for independently supporting said slide and said drawer for movement between opened and closed positions, and a lock means for releasably retaining said slide in cLosed position, said locking mechanism comprising: a latch dog carried one by each said drawer for vertical, pivotal movement relative thereto, said latch dog being normally supported in a first pivotal position by sliding engagement with said surface means during opening and closing movements of said drawer; abutment means defined by a rear end portion of said surface means and associated one with each said latch dog; lock bar means supported by said desk for movement between vertically spaced unlocked and locked positions, said lock bar means including latch dog supporting means arranged in an essentially coplanar relationship with said surface means when said lock bar means is in said unlocked position, whereby to support said latch dog in said first pivotal position when said drawer is in closed position, said latch dog supporting means being arranged vertically below said surface means when said lock bar means is in said locked position, whereby to permit said latch dog to pivot downwardly from said first pivotal position into a second pivotal position for drawer locking engagement with its associated abutment means when said drawer is moved into closed position; and means responsive to movement of said writing slide between opened and closed positions for moving said lock bar means vertically between said unlocked and locked positions, respectively, whereby when said writing slide is in said closed position and said drawer is in said closed position said latch dog is engaged with its associated abutment means to effect locking of said drawer in said closed position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
A locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism additionally includes spring means tending to bias said latch dog from said first pivotal position into said second pivotal position, said latch dog being pivotally mounted on a side wall of said drawer by a pin shaft and said pin shaft additionally serves to mount a drawer rear supporting roller.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
234 words
A locking mechanism in combination with a desk having a pedestal cabinet with a pull out writing slide, at least one pull out drawer arranged below and in vertical alignment with said slide, surface means for independently supporting said slide and said drawer for movement between opened and closed positions, and a lock means for releasably retaining said slide in closed position, said locking mechanism comprising: a latch dog carried one by each said drawer for vertical, pivotal movement relative thereto, said latch dog being normally supported in a first pivotal position by sliding engagement with said surface means during opening and closing movements of said drawer; lock bar means supported by said desk for vertical movement between upper locked and lower unlocked positions, said lock bar means defining abutment means associated one with each said latch dog, said abutment means being movable from a position essentially coplanar with said surface means when said lock bar means is in said unlocked position into a position elevated above said surface means when said lock bar means is in said locked position; and means responsive to movement of said writing slide between open and closed positions for moving said lock bar means between said unlocked and locked positions, respectively, whereby when writing slide is in closed position and said drawer is moved into closed position said latch dog is moved into engagement with said abutment means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
234 words
A locking mechanism in combination with a desk having a pedestal cabinet with a pull out writing slide, at least one pull out drawer arranged below and in vertical alignment with said slide, surface means for independently supporting said slide and said drawer for movement between opened and closed positions, and a lock means for releasably retaining said slide in closed position, said locking mechanism comprising: a latch dog carried one by each said drawer for vertical, pivotal movement relative thereto, said latch dog being normally supported in a first pivotal position by sliding engagement with said surface means during opening and closing movements of said drawer; lock bar means supported by said desk for vertical movement between upper locked and lower unlocked positions, said lock bar means defining abutment means associated one with each said latch dog, said abutment means being movable from a position essentially coplanar with said surface means when said lock bar means is in said unlocked position into a position elevated above said surface means when said lock bar means is in said locked position; and means responsive to movement of said writing slide between open and closed positions for moving said lock bar means between said unlocked and locked positions, respectively, whereby when writing slide is in closed position and said drawer is moved into closed position said latch dog is moved into engagement with said abutment means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
246 words
A cabinet construction comprising in combination: a cabinet frame; a plurality of drawers; a plurality of surface means fixed to said frame in a vertically spaced relationship for supporting said drawers relative to said frame in a vertically aligned relationship and for independent movement between drawer open and closed positions, each said surface means defining an abutment adjacent a rear end thereof; a latch dog carried one by each of said drawers for vertical pivotal movement relative thereto, each said latch dog having a foot End portion for normally supporting said latch dog in a first pivotal position by sliding engagement with its drawer associated surface means during opening and closing movements of its drawer but being movable rearwardly of said abutment defined by its drawer associated surface means when its drawer is in fully closed position; a lock bar carried by said frame for vertical reciprocating movements and having a plurality of supporting surface means spaced vertically therealong at distances corresponding to the distances between said surface means; and operating means for selectively moving said lock bar between an upper unlocking position wherein said supporting surface means forms a continuation of said surface means for supporting said foot end portions out of engagement with said abutments and a lower locked position wherein said supporting surface means is disposed vertically below said surface means for permitting downwardly pivotal movement of said latch dogs to position said foot end portions in drawer locking engagement with said abutments.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
246 words
A cabinet construction comprising in combination: a cabinet frame; a plurality of drawers; a plurality of surface means fixed to said frame in a vertically spaced relationship for supporting said drawers relative to said frame in a vertically aligned relationship and for independent movement between drawer open and closed positions, each said surface means defining an abutment adjacent a rear end thereof; a latch dog carried one by each of said drawers for vertical pivotal movement relative thereto, each said latch dog having a foot End portion for normally supporting said latch dog in a first pivotal position by sliding engagement with its drawer associated surface means during opening and closing movements of its drawer but being movable rearwardly of said abutment defined by its drawer associated surface means when its drawer is in fully closed position; a lock bar carried by said frame for vertical reciprocating movements and having a plurality of supporting surface means spaced vertically therealong at distances corresponding to the distances between said surface means; and operating means for selectively moving said lock bar between an upper unlocking position wherein said supporting surface means forms a continuation of said surface means for supporting said foot end portions out of engagement with said abutments and a lower locked position wherein said supporting surface means is disposed vertically below said surface means for permitting downwardly pivotal movement of said latch dogs to position said foot end portions in drawer locking engagement with said abutments.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
259 words
A cabinet construction according to claim 4, wherein said frame includes a vertically rising frame leg, each of said surface means includes a case channel having at least a vertically extending mounting flange and a horizontally disposed flange portion for supporting an associated drawer and its latch dog during opening and closing movements of said drawer, and said case channels and said lock bar are fixed to said frame leg by an assembly serving to define said upper unlocking position wherein each said supporting surface means forms a continuation of said horizontally disposed flange portion of an associated one of said case channels, said assembly including a plurality of vertically rising guide slots formed in said lock bar in a predetermined relationship to said supporting surface means, a mounting opening formed in each said vertically extending mounting flange adjacent a rearwardly extending end thereof in pre-determined relationship to an associated horizontally disposed flange portion, a plurality of threaded studs extending horizontally from said frame leg in a predetermined vertically spaced relationship, and headed lock nuts provided one in association with each said stud and having reduced diameter shank portions dimensioned to be slideably received within said guide slots, said studs being received one within each of said mounting openings and the shank portion of an associated stud mounted lock nut passing through one of said guide slots and clamping the vertically extending mounting flange to said frame leg, engagement of said shank portions with lowermost ends of said guide slots determining the upper unlocking position of said lock bar.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
221 words
A cabinet construction comprising in combination: a cabinet frame; a plurality of drawers; a plurality of surface means fixed to said frame in a vertically spaced relationship for supporting said drawers relative to said frame in a vertically aligned relationship and for independent movement between drawer open and closed positions; a plurality of latch dogs carried one by each of said drawers for vertical pivotal movements relative thereto, each of said latch dogs being supported for sliding movement in engagement with its drawer associated surface means during opening and closing movements of its drawer and having a downwardly opening slot positionable rearwardly of its drawer associated surface means only when its drawer is in fully closed position; a lock bar carried by said frame for vertical reciprocating movements, said lock bar defining a plurality of abutments spaced vertically therealong at distances corresponding to the distances between said surface means; and operating means for selectively moving said lock bar between an upper locked position wherein said abutments are raised above said surface means to insert said abutments within said latch dog slots to lock said drawers in fully closed position and a lower unlocked positIon wherein said abutments are moved downwardly from within said latch dog slots and said latch dogs are supported by said surface means for sliding movement as aforesaid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
221 words
A cabinet construction comprising in combination: a cabinet frame; a plurality of drawers; a plurality of surface means fixed to said frame in a vertically spaced relationship for supporting said drawers relative to said frame in a vertically aligned relationship and for independent movement between drawer open and closed positions; a plurality of latch dogs carried one by each of said drawers for vertical pivotal movements relative thereto, each of said latch dogs being supported for sliding movement in engagement with its drawer associated surface means during opening and closing movements of its drawer and having a downwardly opening slot positionable rearwardly of its drawer associated surface means only when its drawer is in fully closed position; a lock bar carried by said frame for vertical reciprocating movements, said lock bar defining a plurality of abutments spaced vertically therealong at distances corresponding to the distances between said surface means; and operating means for selectively moving said lock bar between an upper locked position wherein said abutments are raised above said surface means to insert said abutments within said latch dog slots to lock said drawers in fully closed position and a lower unlocked positIon wherein said abutments are moved downwardly from within said latch dog slots and said latch dogs are supported by said surface means for sliding movement as aforesaid.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
204 words
A cabinet construction according to claim 6, wherein said frame includes a vertically rising frame leg, each of said surface means includes a case channel having at least a vertically extending mounting flange and a horizontally disposed flange portion for supporting an associated drawer and its latch dog during opening and closing movements of said drawer, and said case channels and said lock bar are fixed to said frame leg by an assembly including a plurality of vertically rising guide slots formed in said lock bar in a pre-determined relationship to said abutments, a mounting opening formed in each said vertically extending mounting flange adjacent a rearwardly extending end thereof in pre-determined relationship to an associated horizontally disposed flange portion, a plurality of threaded studs extending horizontally from said frame leg in a pre-determined vertically spaced relationship, and headed lock nuts provided one in association with each said stud and having reduced diameter shank portions dimensioned to be slideably received within said guide slots, said studs being received one within each of said mounting openings and the shank portion of an associated stud mounted lock nut passing through one of said guide slots and clamping the vertically extending mounting flange to said frame leg.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-02-11 | 1977-08-13 | 1978-02-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-02-11 | 1981-08-13 | 1982-02-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-02-11 | 1985-08-13 | 1986-02-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |